Saw burn on large AZ petrified wood slab

[low temp geochemistry]

I inherited a large slab of AZ petrified wood sawn in the early days of specimen collection. I've seen the piece for 50 years. My grandmother's father supposedly collected the specimen in the late 18th or early 19th century. The band saw was poorly cooled for a period. The lower quarter of the specimen shows overheating and noticeable yellowing friction heat discoloration. 

 

I will attach an image soon.

 

Has anyone experienced preparation techniques to diminish or correctly grind out the damage? I would appreciate your help.

 

 

[FranzBernhard]

Its a piece of family history and technical history.

Enjoy it as it is! You will regret it, when having done something to it.

Franz Bernhard

[low temp geochemistry]

Great advice Franz!

 

Likely why I haven't done anything with it after 50-some years!

[DPS Ammonite]

17 hours ago, low temp geochemistry said:

late 18th or early 19th century

I assume that you mean late 1800s to early 1900s.

 

Show us a picture.

[low temp geochemistry]

2 hours ago, DPS Ammonite said:

I assume that you mean late 1800s to early 1900s.

 

Show us a picture.

What is time, really?

 

But, yes ... I may have momentarily lost my mind.

 

Great advice Franz!

 

Likely why I haven't done anything with it after 50-some years!

[Ptychodus04]

If it bothers you, make the change. I don't have any compulsion to keep errors around just because there's a family history.  I would think a few hours on a flat lap machine would remove the discolored bit.

[low temp geochemistry]

Thanks for the bump.

 

The specimen is 16x20". The ancestor appears to have tried a lap strategy, unsuccessfully. I believe the objective was to fabricate a countertop curio stand. It was used that way on my g-gma's dresser top, which I saw when I was a little kid, with the stained area 'covered up.'

 

I've seen antique end tables that incorporated large slab tops of AZ petrified wood made before the National Park. I've thought for years that I could remove the 'heat stain' with a lap-like process. I had another piece that shared a worse 'heat stain' condition. The stain is at least 1/8" deep. The heat stain is not superficial.

 

As a geophysicist, I believe friction heat has changed the pleasing-to-the-eye chemistry of crystallography. I've certainly seen this in hard rock cores.